Skip to main content

'Seasons of Heaven' is a beautiful Nintendo Switch-exclusive adventure

Nintendo looks to have plenty of games in development for its Switch console, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and what appears to be an original 3D Mario, but a third-party developer has a project in the works that looks just as majestic. Seasons of Heaven is an adventure releasing exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, and it centers around a boy and his dog.

In development at French studio Any Arts Productions — Seasons of Heaven stars a young boy named Yann, who has Asperger syndrome, and his French bulldog named Ani, as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world. The game is based on a French novel of the same name written by Nico Augusto, and in contrast to the beautiful screenshots released thus far, the game’s world sounds like an excruciating place. Animals have been made extinct, eaten by man as waste destroyed the land under their feet. Trees are dwindling. Water has been polluted to the point of not being drinkable.

Recommended Videos

In the novel, Yann and Ani share a telepathic connection and this could be the narrative reason behind one of Season of Heaven‘s gameplay features: the ability to control both characters. In stark contrast to the similar The Last Guardian, you won’t have to suggest Yann’s furry friend does something — you can control him to do it yourself.

Seasons of Heaven uses Unreal Engine 4 and its power shows in the screenshots we’ve seen. Light shines through trees, offering a bit of hope in what is otherwise a depressing world and individual dandelions poke up through the grass. Just exactly what the gameplay is going to be like remains a mystery, through a statue with two lasers shooting from its eyes suggests that the game will feature Zelda-like puzzle elements.

Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Watch the Switch 2 do something unexpected in this intense bend test
The Switch 2 undergoing a durability test.

Zack Nelson of the popular JerryRigEverything YouTube channel is more used to putting smartphones through his demanding durability test, but he clearly couldn’t resist doing the same with Nintendo’s just-released Switch 2 handheld to find out if it’s a “pass” or “fail” when it comes to hardiness. 

“Out of the millions of Switches made, you kinda gotta feel sorry for the one that ends up on my desk,” Nelson says at the start of his video, suggesting that the device is in for a pretty rough time.

Read more
PSA: Don’t fall for Nintendo Switch 2 horror story hoaxes this weekend
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom runs on a Switch 2 screen.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is out today and that's a cause for celebration. Players who were able to score one will no doubt spend the day racing in Mario Kart World, testing out their Joy-con's new tricks in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and testing out new features like GameChat. There's bound to be a lot of excitement, but also plenty of complaints. You're bound to see players sharing their issues with the system this weekend, which may leave you wondering if it's worth waiting to buy one until the bugs are ironed out.

That would be a totally healthy response, but be warned: The fakers are coming. Take everything you see and hear this weekend with some healthy skepticism until the dust clears.

Read more
Nintendo Switch 2 launch day buying guide: what you need and what you don’t
The Switch 2 next to a TV with Mario Kart.

All those years of anticipation have finally paid off. The Nintendo Switch 2 is out now, giving players a brand new console to play around with. If you're planning on getting one, know that it's not just a console you'll likely buy. The Switch 2 is launching with a whole mess of accessories, from controllers to Nintendo's own webcam. If you tried to buy everything, you'd quickly find yourself spending way more than $450.

We're here to help you cut through an overwhelming list of launch day products. We've put together a quick buying guide that's built to help you focus in on what accessories and games you'll need and which you can skip. I've broken this down into must buys, nice to haves, and luxuries. Remember: You don't need to buy everything at once. Pick and choose what you think you need so you can make your Switch 2 shopping experience a little less daunting.

Read more